Carruthers added another chapter to Mark and Sara Bradstock’s fairytale season by rolling back the years to land an emotional success at Newbury on Saturday.

Minutes after his half-brother and stablemate, Coneygree, paraded around the paddock resplendent in his Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup rug, Carruthers grabbed his own share of the headlines.

Tackling the same course and distance over which he captured the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup, the 12-year-old veteran overcame a sluggish start, before battling home by a neck from Amigo in the Ultima Business Solutions Silver Jubilee Handicap Chase under Nico de Boinville.

“That’s even better. I really love this old horse,” said Sara who trains the 8-1 chance with her husband, Mark, at Letcombe Bassett, near Wantage.

“I said to Nico, it’s all about his confidence. He is much better than these, but you have got to make him believe and Nico is brilliant.

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“I ride him every day and he is in just as good form as he was when he won the Hennessy.

Asked to compare Carruthers with Coneygree, she added: “He is a wonderful character who loves to race and it’s all about guts.

“Coneygree is a ruthless professional. He goes out there and he is on a mission.”

Mark said: “It’s absolutely fabulous. He is just so lovely to have anything to do with. He doesn’t know how to give up.

“I know he is 12, but you should have seen him when I was trying to tack him up. He was behaving like a two-year-old.”

As for the future, the trainer added: “There are thoughts about going point-to-pointing, but having won that I don’t know whether he’ll be qualified.”

De Boinville said: “He just had a bit of a think setting off, and I thought I am not going to sit out the back and let him sort of sulk.

“I thought it would be better to have him up there and try and enjoy it, which he did, and I did as well.”